Reviews : Arsenal

Glock G22 RTF2 Duty Pistol

The enhancements in this new full-size Glock .40 are more than cosmetic.

When I started in my law enforcement career, the most popular service issue handgun was the Smith & Wesson Military & Police Model 10 six-shot .38 Special revolver. Today, about 65 percent of American law enforcement officers carry semi-auto Glocks, more specifically Glock .40s.

This means that any changes, improvements, or enhancements of Glock .40s will impact cops. Glock recently started selling the G22 Rough Textured Frame Version 2 (RTF2), a pistol that is sure to be just as popular with cops as the standard version Glock pistol.

Getting a Grip

The new Glock 22 RTF2 has some interesting features that make this pistol worth considering for on- and off-duty carry.

For starters, more than 4,000 tiny raised "pyramids" cover the polymer frame, creating a very adhesive-like texture to the gripping surface. In my opinion, these tiny raised beads of plastic dramatically improve the ergonomics of this pistol because they enable you to hold onto the G22 RTF2 when your hands are sweaty or wet.

To prove this point, I soaked my hands in water before gripping the new Glock 22 RTF2. I had no problem holding onto it.

This new grip substantially increases traction when under combat conditions. I also found that the presence of an army of tiny "pyramids" on the Glock 22 RTF2 grip enabled me to get the perfect shooting grip as soon as I grabbed it.

Slide Serrations

The G22 RTF2 also has a series of seven scalloped slide serrations on the rear portion of the slide assembly to improve the gripping surface when the operator manually retracts or releases the slide during a reloading procedure.

These deeply cut slide serrations make it easy to grasp the rear portion of the slide and draw back on the slide before releasing it forward with confidence. When you are trained to "sling shot" or manually release the slide during a combat reloading procedure, instead of using the slide stop or the slide release lever, you appreciate any enhancements that are made to the texture of the slide, especially to the rear portion of the slide.

These slide serrations can also come in very handy if your hands are wet or if excess amounts of lubricant end up covering your pistol. Nothing is worse than needing to execute a combat reload and not being able to do so because slippery hands caused you to let go of the slide before it was retracted all the way past the slide lock.

Trigger Pull

The G22 RTF2 also comes with the traditional Glock Safe-Action striker-fired trigger system, which is available in different weights to suit your personal needs or the requirements of your employing law enforcement or security agency.

While I personally prefer the five-pound trigger, I have tested Glock pistols with the eight-pound trigger and had no difficulty using either.

As far as firepower is concerned, the Glock 22 RTF2 is still available with a high-capacity 15-round magazine.

Sights and Lights

The G22 RTF2 is available with standard sights, Glock night sights, or Trijicon night sights. All three sight options offer an excellent sight picture, especially the night sights in low-light conditions.

My eldest son is a municipal police officer who carries an issued Glock G22 with Trijicon night sights, but on his personally owned G23 he has a set of Glock night sights. While the Trijicons are guaranteed for some 11 years and the Glock sights are backed by the factory for two years, the Glock night sights on his G23 are still providing excellent service even though they are a good seven to eight years old.

While using both pistols, my son has qualified on the standard POST Firearms Qualification Course with a perfect score or close to perfect score. In my book this proves that both the Trijicon and Glock night sights provide an excellent sight picture.

Glock has spent a great deal of time studying the use of weapon lights on its pistols. In the course of this evaluation it was determined that magazine springs had to be changed to ensure reliable feeding when shooters attach lights to any Glock pistols that have an accessory rail incorporated into their designs. After a great deal of experimenting, Glock quickly began manufacturing magazines that are designed to work reliably whether or not a light is used on any Glock pistol. I mention this to let you know that you should not encounter any feeding problems using a new Glock 22 RTF2 pistol with or without a light attached.

It Shoots Better

If there is one thing I like about being a freelance gun writer, it's the ability to test new products. As someone who recently transitioned back to carrying Glock pistols, I was looking forward to this test and evaluation because I was personally curious to see if the new G22 RTF2 was a better pistol than the standard Glock 22.

It is. Don't get me wrong, older Glocks are fine pistols, but the new Glock RTF2 is greatly improved and should be popular once it circulates in the field in adequate numbers.

One of the reasons I say it's a better pistol than a standard G22 is that it shoots better.

I fired the G22 RTF2 using 180- and 165-grain .40 caliber training and service (hollow-point) ammunition. The destinations for these rounds were some TQ19 POST police firearms qualification targets and a metal plate.

I found the Glock 22 RTF2 to be both accurate and flawlessly reliable. It was also very comfortable to shoot. And shooting comfort has become very important to me, since I have developed painful arthritis in my hands after decades of regularly shooting handguns.

The G22 RTF2 also proved to be flawlessly reliable when I tested it while using brand new Glock magazines and older Glock 22 magazines. This means that you should have no problem using your stash of .40 caliber G22 magazines from older generation pistols in the new G22 RTF2.

I like the G22 RTF2 so much I intend to buy the test pistol from Glock and carry it as my concealed weapon. This pistol is far too good in every respect to send it back to the factory.

Nick Jacobellis is a medically retired U.S. Customs agent and former New York police officer. He was physically disabled in the line of duty while working undercover as a federal agent.

Comments (3)

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3

b7farms @ 4/3/2010 3:16 AM

I first saw the Glock 22 RTF on the cover of a magazine, being a big Glock fan I picked it up and started readind. When i got to the part that said it was comming soon I started to loose hope on getting one because I was buying a new glock that week, I went to my local gun shop and told him I wanted a Glock 22 to replace my gen 4 G22. he asked if I wanted a new one or used one and I told him new. He handed me a RTF 22 and it was a done deal. I have always had a glock 22 for concealed carry but the RTF takes the cake. Im a fan!!!

ez4484 @ 6/10/2010 6:27 PM

The RTF2 may be a good choice for occational plinking on hot days where your hands might slip, but is a horrible choice for duty/concealment carry.

I was issued one of these pistols and hate it! The slide serrations are angled back towards the shooter, which allows my fingers to easily slip off the slide without death gripping it.

The RTF grip has too much gripping power in my opinion. I compare it to rubbing the reverse side of a zester. It chews holes in everything it comes into regular contact with. I'm required to carry this pistol concealed and in a uniformed capacity. The sides of my dress shirts and suit jackets look like they were used as a cat scratching post. My tact vest looks the same way from carrying in a duty holster. And unless you're a masochist, don't even think about trying to carry this pistol against bare skin.

RTF2 is a good idea, but an impractical design for everyday use.

OldShotYoungGun @ 9/23/2017 4:42 AM

Use some 400grit or finer wet-dry paper to take some of the points off the pyramids - then you'll have nubs that don't tear up your clothes

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